Latino Daily News

Residents of shantytowns in the Argentine capital on Monday began a hunger strike at a tent set up downtown to demand improvements for their neighborhoods.

The representatives of 17 shantytowns are going without solid food to demand that the municipal government undertake infrastructure projects - mainly sewers, water drains, lighting and paving - in their neighborhoods.

Hunger strike participants will rotate every five days over the course of the two-week protest in the tent set up next to the Obelisk, one of the best-known monuments in Buenos Aires located on July 9 Avenue.

“We’ll rotate every five days because we understand that the government of (Mayor Mauricio) Macri certainly is going to let us die here,” said activist Rafael Klejzer at a press conference.

In addition, the residents demanded that the “criminalization of poverty” and the creation of victims of marginalization be ended.

“We’re going to keep growing until we get the support of the media sectors, since they have to see the poverty in our neighborhoods before they think we’re criminals because we build their houses, clean their residences, take care of their kids, sew their clothes and collect their trash. That is, we’re good for working but we don’t have the right to a dignified life,” he said.